Pimps of Joytime: Bring your dancing shoes to the Marriott on Friday, July 6, and throw down to the sounds of this deeply funky trio from Brooklyn.

Highwater Blues Cruise: The last cruise of the fest sets sail on Sunday, July 8, with performances by soul legend Bobby Rush and by the Backyard Blues Boys, a reunion of former Portland high school students.

Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian Linda Hornbuckle will perform as part of the blues fest's Sail On Sister cruise.

Blues music has long been seen as something of a masculine art form, with its key signifiers often being the low growl of the vocals, the flashy solos and the pure braggadocio. The many women who sing the blues tend to carry on those tropes, so there's rarely room for the quiet emotion or lightness that female artists bring into other genres.

The 55-year-old vocalist is helping facilitate the change through events like the DME (Delta Music Experience) Sail On, Sister Cruise at this year's Waterfront Blues Festival. The two-hour boat ride on the Portland Spirit features performances by Hornbuckle and fellow "soul divas" from the Northwest, including Rae Gordon, Lady Kat, Sonny Hess and Seattle's Lady A.

The cruise, an offshoot of the Between Friends showcases that Hornbuckle hosted for previous blues fests, will be more than just music, though.

"We're going to be telling stories," Hornbuckle said. "Could be something about being on the road or something at home. Could be funny, sad or encouraging. Just something a little more personal about ourselves, letting people get a little bit closer to these great singers."

The five women will trade off performances and storytelling throughout the short cruise, and do what they do best: Support other female artists.

"Portland is very blessed to have this community of musicians," Hornbuckle said. "All of us are writing and recording and producing our own CDs. We're fortunate that we all get along and look out for each other."

But, with that, is there any kind of sibling rivalry among them?

"None of that is going on," she said. "We all want to support one another. That's important to us. Sibling rivalry? That's being a real diva! We're very, very nice divas." 2-4:30 p.m. Friday, boards from the harbor wall at S.W. Salmon Street and Naito Parkway